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Manchester United star Angel Di Maria has revealed that he has been surprised by the hunger and commitment shown by England captain Wayne Rooney since Di Maria’s arrival at the club, as reported by the Daily Star.

The Argentinian international moved to Old Trafford this summer for a huge £59.7 million, the record transfer paid out by a British side.

He spent a spell on the sidelines recently, but returned during Man Utd’s 2-0 victory against Yeovil Town at the weekend.

The Old Trafford club struggled to break down the League One side for the first period of the match, until Ander Herrera hit home a sensational volley from the edge of the area.

Di Maria then capped off the display with a fine goal, finishing off a swooping counter attack in typical style.

He has now spoken to Radio America, expressing his respect for Man Utd’s captain’s attitude since he has arrived at the club.

“Rooney is an impressive player,” he said.

“He plays 90 minutes in every game. He is always committed, giving everything in every match.

“He has this quality, mentality and this hunger to play every game that is incomparable. It is he that has surprised me the most, with his hunger and how he commits to every game. He is a player that deserves to be here.”

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that Wayne Rooney will continue in midfield over the next few games as a result of injuries suffered by the rest of the squad.

Rooney’s play during Man Utd’s recent games has been good, and his displays have been a contributing factor to the Old Trafford club’s winning streak, which saw them get three points for six games in a row until Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

The England and Man Utd skipper has mainly played as a ball winning midfielder during that time, a far cry from his preferred position as a centre forward, where Robin van Persie, James Wilson and Radamel Falcao have been covering.

Injuries have hit Man Utd’s midfield, with the likes of Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini all expected to miss out on the boxing day game against Newcastle United.

Rooney will likely continue in midfield.

“Wayne is a player who can play in different positions and I like that because I like multi functional players,” Van Gaal said.

“That’s why I can use him as a midfielder, also as a striker and an attacking midfielder. The last game he was more a defensive midfielder.

“I like that he is also coming into the penalty area because he can score goals. He has the ability to run from box to box but I like him closer to the opponents penalty area than our goal.”

Arsenal and Manchester United meet in the Premier League on Saturday, and both sides are at a lower ebb than they have been for a long time.

The arrival of Louis van Gaal in the summer was meant to herald a rejuvenation for the Old Trafford side after the debacle of the David Moyes era at the club.

This has not turned out to be the case, however, and Van Gaal has struggled to get the team playing consistently.

Arsene Wenger has also failed to inspire his troops to fluid displays, despite a big summer spend (although one that was incomparable with Man Utd’s huge outlay).

Alexis Sanchez has been the real plus point, dragging his side to result after result.

If we were to combine the two teams, however, who would play?

We’ve explored that below:

GK: David de Gea

One of the most impressive stoppers in the Premier League since the start of the season, De Gea walks into the side.

Wojciech Szczesny has not made any major mistakes, but the fact that Wenger is reportedly chasing Petr Cech suggests even his boss would not necessarily keep him as first choice.

RB: Rafael

Mathieu Debuchy looked good upon arrival at Arsenal, but an early injury brought about an end to his spell in the side.

While Calum Chambers has rarely looked hugely flustered in the right hand role, Rafael is a natural right back, and lends the defence far more balance.

CB: Per Mertesacker

The German giant offers an imposing presence in the defence, something that simply does not exist in the current Man Utd side.

While Arsenal’s defence have been lax, this is nothing in comparison to Man Utd’s struggles there.

CB: Laurent Koscielny

Which is why Koscielny also features.

Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and the series of young stars that have featured in the middle of defence have never looked solid, which is why Van Gaal is chasing the likes of Mats Hummels in January.

LB: Luke Shaw

Arsenal’s injury woes have stretched across their entire defence, but Kieran Gibbs has impressed since the season kicked off.

Shaw, however, offers an attacking threat down the left, and Van Gaal would be disappointed if he was unavailable for Saturday’s tie after picking up a knock.

CM: Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal’s golden boy of last season has not been at his sensational best since the season began, but he still has the capacity to change a game in the blink of an eye.

Running from deep, he offers a threat to any defence.

DM: Jack Wilshere

Wilshere has been left on the bench for the last few games by Wenger, but his impressive display in the defensive midfield role for England against Scotland suggests this is a position Wenger should try to use the player in.

It remains to be seen if the manager will take the risk and do so, but it could be to the benefit of Arsenal.

RW: Alexis Sanchez

One of the top performers since the start of the season, Sanchez has taken no time at all to settle at his new club after his big money transfer from Barcelona, scoring eight in only 10 games.

Often seen as playing above and beyond the rest of his side, Wenger will be hoping Sanchez can inspire his troops to a win on Saturday.

AM: Wayne Rooney

Exceptional in mid-week for England, Saturday is the sort of potentially high tempered tie that Rooney thrives off.

He needs to improve at club level, however, if he wants to captain Man Utd back into the Champions League.

LW: Angel Di Maria

The record breaker Di Maria has been one highlight for Man Utd since the season began.

His £59.7 million transfer was supposed to place Man Utd as title challengers again, but this has not been the case as of yet.

The player himself has impressed, however, and with Shaw behind him, this side would have considerable threat down the left.

ST: Danny Welbeck

Welbeck has undergone a huge makeover over the last few months, with his £16 million move to Arsenal giving him the opportunity to impose himself as a top level striker.

He has done so with aplomb, and compared to the likes of Robin van Persie, he is clearly operating at a higher level on a more regular basis.

It might be interesting to see if Van Gaal comes to regret the £16 million sale by Saturday evening.